The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-14
LEFT TO OUR FATE.
Cruel Experience of a Learned Visitor
tO RiTT11 i'm Cham
From, the Birmingham Age.

From the Birmingham Age.
The worldwide advertising Birmingham
has received the past twelve months is draw
ing to her confines, besides the welcome
manufacturer and capitalist, a large number
of other pilgrims, who, if neither particu-
larly useful or ornamental, are at least
amusing, The Magic City has become the
cynOsure of the genus crank, and those who
do not visit it in person weary the mails by
carrying to prominent business men and
capitalists minute details of all sorts of Wis
iona1y schemes and brain-bewildering prop
OSitiOnS.
A few days ago a modest gentleman in
terested in the formation of an industrial
stock company here received a well-written
letter stating that the author had a process
for making double the quantity of steel with
the same power, at one-half the cost, of any
present known system. The writer esti-
mated that the plant would cost $4,000, and
he would guarantee it to pay the original
outlay in thirteen days after the mill was in
operation. He bad an elaborate array of
figures to prove his assertions, and was will
ing to come to Birmingham if a stock COM
pany for that amount was formed The fig
ures dazed the gentleman, who submitted
the letter to a capitalist. The latter looked
at the signature, broke into loud laugh,
and remarked: "Why, receive on an aver
age letter every day from that fellow con-
corning all sorts of proposals fully as wild
as this. He is a helpless, senile crank"
A slender, sad-eyed gentleman, well
dressed, with Russian leather gripsack in
his hand, was sitting pensively in the Union
depot yesterday morning waiting for a
north-bound train, when a reporter fell into
conversation with him. In reply to the
stereotyped question, "What do you think
of Birmingham" the pensive stranger said:
II do not like it all, sir There is no progress
here, and the people are intellectually in
capable of grasping new idea which have
here to Misunderstanding which, had
they realized its value, would have saved
them from the pestilence which is bound to
lay waste the city and punish them for their
stupidity. l leave Birmingham to her fate, y
and the interesting philanthropist folded
himself III pail of melancholy.
The reporter respected his grief for a few
minutes and then delicately ventured to ask
him who he was and in what way the Magic
City had wounded his susceptib;lities. In
reply he handed his interrogation neatly
engraved card bearing the name, "Prof.
Edouard Ivers, Toledo, or
The professor, in response to sympathetic
questions, finally unburdened himself
''You see, sir, read great deal about
Birmingham, and gradually a strong in
terest in its welfare grew up within me.
was professor of mechanics in O Camden,
N. j., institute for years, and have a
diploma from the Pennsylvania Society OF
Practical Chemistry. inferred, from what
read of the topography of Birmingham,
that it must be very unhealthy place in
summer, and invented a machine by which
a cool, even and invigorating temperature
could be obtained the year round thus
making it impossible for plague or pestilence
to find home in this valley. My in
vention when erected at the end
of The valley would simply absorb
all the air-good, bad and indif-
ferent-and, after purifying it by chemi-
cal process, dispense it i'll given quantities
again. The renovated air would be heavier
than the natural and impure atmosphere
and the latter could not consequently find
a Judgment within 100 feet of the earth. "
"A valuable invention truly, professor.
Did you bring it to the attention Of any of
the citizensp
eyes, sir; and offered to put it up and
operate it for ten years if they would give
me 600, 900 acres of land and $50, 900 cash. y
"What did they replyW
"They deridcd me--called me fool, crank
and idiot"
''The ingratesp
"Thats what they are. sir. but leave
them TO their fate.